Singapore – Grab has announced that it will acquire Trans-cab, one of the largest taxi operators in the country. The acquisition will cover Trans-cab’s taxi and car rental business, maintenance workshop, and fuel pump operations. At the moment, Trans-cab’s combined taxi and private-hire-vehicle (PHV) fleet has more than 2,500 vehicles registered.
Grab plans to launch an enhanced Grab Driver application that will be integrated with the Mobile Display Units in Trans-cab taxis. The app will enable Trans-cab taxi drivers to manage their earnings and receive bookings from the Grab platform as well as Trans-cab’s existing call centre, all through a single platform.
With Grab’s allocation technology, Trans-cab drivers will be assigned bookings in a highly efficient and intelligent way, maximising their productivity so they can earn more.
Moreover, Trans-cab drivers that join the Grab platform will also receive benefits offered to all Grab driver-partners, including free coverage through Grab’s Personal Accident Insurance whenever they are online on the Grab platform, as well as access to GrabAcademy, where they can pick up skills from a wide range of free courses from data analytics to supply chain management and digital marketing. Driver-partners can also participate in Grab’s loyalty programs for additional rewards.
Teo Kiang Ang, founder and chairman of Trans-cab, said, “Trans-cab is very close to my heart, and our taxi drivers are like family. Together with them, we grew Trans-cab from just a small fleet of 50 taxis two decades ago, to become Singapore’s second largest taxi company at one point. As we consider their future and what is best for them, I feel assured that with Grab, we have found the right partner to hand over Trans-cab to, who will do what is best for the drivers and the business.”
Meanwhile, Yee Wee Tang, managing director at Grab Singapore, commented, “Teo’s story is truly inspiring. He built multiple successful businesses from humble beginnings and we’re incredibly proud to continue part of his legacy. Trans-cab is a very well-run taxi company and there is a lot that we can learn from Mr. Teo and the Trans-cab team. We look forward to welcoming the Trans-cab fleet and team into ours.”
He added, “We see this as a strategic match with win-win-win outcomes for all. By boosting the number of drivers on our platform and helping them to operate more efficiently, we improve how quickly and reliably we find a ride for our passengers, whenever they need one.”
